Pack contents simulated from Wizards' published collector-booster collation (via MTGJSON). Sealed cost uses TCGplayer low (via TCGCSV); cards are valued at the lowest real market signal — TCGplayer (last sale when one exists, else low) or Cardmarket (via Scryfall) — so a lone unsold listing can't inflate a card. Cards under a small bulk threshold count as $0. Prices refresh daily and are estimates — not financial advice.

Videos · Portfolio · Pull rates · Methodology · Compare sets · llms.txt · Why we don't crack · for educational purposes

WWhy we don't crack
VideosPortfolioPull ratesCompareMarketMethodology
  1. Home
  2. /Strixhaven: School of Mages
STX·Released Apr 23, 2021·12 packs / box · 15 cards / pack·Prices refreshes every 6 hours

Strixhaven: School of Mages collector booster EV

Verdict
Money pit
Loading opener...

Set snapshot

Box price
$598
$49.87/pack
Expected value
$358
$29.84/pack
Net EV
−$240
Break-even
12.0%

Return if cracked at TCG low: −40%

Demonic Tutor

$519 · 1 in 9 · 11% / box

SimulateOutlookFactsEV historyCrack or holdPull rates

What opening a box looks like

Simulated from published collation. Most boxes land below average; chase cards pull the mean up.

$197
$299
$358
$598
$715
Floor (10%)
$197
Typical
$299
Average (EV)
$358
Lucky (90%)
$715
Box price
$598

The average box ($358) is $58.62 above a typical box ($299) — 16%of the EV comes from above-median outcomes you probably won't see.

Value distribution

10,000 simulated boxes

Below box cost

88%

lose money on resale

At or above cost

12%

break even or profit

profit zone
Box $598
EV $358 · 68th
Median $299
$0$167$333$500$667$833$1,000

Monte Carlo distribution of total card value per box. Green bars are at or above sealed cost; rose bars are below. EV lands at the 68th percentile — 68% of simulated boxes yield less than the average.

Key facts

Strixhaven: School of Mages collector boosterbox TCG low $598, expected value $358, median box $299, 12% break-even, −40% vs sealed. Methodology · JSON

FAQ for search & AI citations
What is the expected value of a Strixhaven: School of Mages collector booster box?
The expected value (EV) of a Strixhaven: School of Mages collector booster box is $358 based on Wizards' published collation and current TCGplayer prices. The typical (median) box is worth $299.
What are the odds of breaking even on Strixhaven: School of Mages collector boosters?
About 12% of simulated Strixhaven: School of Mages collector boxes return at least the sealed box price ($598). This uses Monte Carlo simulation with corrected MTGJSON collation weights.
Should I crack or hold Strixhaven: School of Mages sealed?
Money pit. EV is $358 vs sealed $598 (−40% return if cracked at TCG low). See the crack-vs-hold comparison on this page for singles targets.

EV over time

Daily snapshots after release · box EV vs sealed price

EV −$19.22 (-5.1%) · Box −$31.60 (-5.0%) over 3m · ROI −0.0%

Box EV Box price

Should you crack it?

Sealed vs singles and pack vs box economics for this set.

Pack vs box economics

Should you buy a sealed box or individual packs? EV per pack is the same either way; the question is what you pay per pack.

Box price
$598
Standalone pack listing
$68.00
Implied pack (box / packs)
$49.87
EV per pack
$29.84
$358 / box
Return opening box
−40%
Return buying packs at listing
−56%

The box is the better deal per pack ($49.87 vs $68.00 listing). Still a losing bet on average at −40% return.

Buy the single instead?

Compare chasing a card by opening boxes vs buying it outright at today's price.

Single price
$519
Pull any copy
1 in 9 (11.2% / box)
Boxes for 50% chance
6
Cost of those boxes
$3,590
Boxes for 95% chance
24
Cost at 95%
$14,362

You'd spend about $3,590 opening boxes for a coin-flip at Demonic Tutor, vs $519 to buy it now.

Chase pull rates

Treatment odds from corrected collation. Tap a row for card-level detail.

Chase pull rates

Expected cards per box and the odds of pulling at least one, by Booster Fun treatment. “1 in N” is per box, not a percentage.

TreatmentExpected / boxP(≥1 / box)1 in N boxes
Standard108.00 cards100.0%Every time
Extended art29.15 cards100.0%Every time
Borderless21.94 cards100.0%Every time
Showcase20.91 cards100.0%Every time

All chase pull rates · Tap a treatment for odds and top cards in this set.

Reference